Meet Ewan Gunn, The Senior Global brand ambassador for Diageo
Diageo - “In terms of Scotch whisky, Diageo operates 28 malt distilleries, accounting for nearly one-third of the industry’s total capacity, along with Scotland’s largest grain distillery at Cameronbridge. The company’s leading brand is Johnnie Walker; the best-selling blended Scotch in the world, but it boasts other high-ranking blended brands such as J&B and Bells, along with an array of respected single malts, including Cardhu, Talisker, Mortlach and The Singleton.”
In this exclusive Q&A I had with Ewan Gunn, you can discover more about him and his work with Diageo.
Ewan Gunn
The Whiskey Scoop: What path did you follow to become a Senior Global Brand Ambassador for Diageo? Was it bartending first, then Brand Ambassador? If not, could you kindly explain how you came to be in this position?
Ewan Gunn: Unusually I didn’t come from a bartending background, although I’ve spent a fair bit of time behind bars since starting out in the whisky industry.
I studied languages at university, and after graduating landed a dream job with Wm Cadenhead, looking after their global sales and marketing. During this time I also spent several months learning how to make whisky at Springbank Distillery.
I then moved to Angus Dundee Distillers looking after some of their European and Middle Eastern markets, before starting my first Brand Ambassador role at Bacardi, as their New York based USA Brand Ambassador for Scotch Whisky. I spent four years in the USA before then moving on to a Global Brand Ambassador role with them.
In 2011 I moved to Diageo, and over the past decade have worked across many of their brands as a Global Brand Ambassador, including launching Haig Club to the world in partnership with David Beckham. I am now the Senior Global Scotch Whisky Ambassador at Diageo, primarily focused on our Luxury Whiskies.
Certain abilities are required to be a Brand Ambassador; which do you believe is the most crucial to get started in the industry?
I think the ability to build strong, authentic relationships is key. You’re in a position of trust in many senses – your company is trusting you to represent their brands, customers and media are relying on you to provide them with the information they need and to answer their questions, and ultimately (and most importantly) the people who actually buy and drink your whiskies often turn to you to hear the stories of those whiskies told in an engaging and entertaining way.
Describe a typical week as a Global Brand Ambassador, including your daily duties?
In over two decades of doing this kind of role I don’t think there has ever been a typical day or week. That’s actually one of the things I love most about what I do – no two days are the same, and the role is constantly evolving as businesses and drinkers tastes and interests evolve.
The role is quite broad and far reaching and covers everything from internal training, to media launch events, to innovation team support, to serve development, to content creation. It never stops being fresh, interesting and exciting.
What are some of the misconceptions about your profession that people have because you work with and around alcohol every day?
I think there can be a misconception that there are lots of fun parties and not much else, whereas in fact, actual events only account for a small amount of the work a Brand Ambassador does. A large amount of our time is spent working on longer term projects, innovations, educational programs, etc.
The best companies will tap into the extensive knowledge their Brand Ambassadors possess and won’t just use them to host events.
Is there a particular brand in Diageo’s vast collection that you like to work with, and which, in your view, produces the greatest whisky?
I’ve been asked this a few times, and it’s genuinely impossible to pick just one.
At Diageo we’re in the very fortunate position that we have a large portfolio of exceptional whiskies, and each has something wonderful about it. From the intriguing distillation process at Mortlach to the variance of styles made at Brora over the years, from the stunning location of Talisker to the brilliant distilleries we have on Islay. Then there are our amazing Blended Scotch Whiskies including Johnnie Walker, Buchanan’s and Old Parr, and of course there’s Haig Club which is doing a brilliant job of welcoming new drinkers into the world of whisky.
What are the best and worst aspects of your job?
It might just be the same thing – travel. My job has made it possible to visit nearly half of the countries in the world and that has been an absolute privilege. Travel nowadays is proving quite challenging at times, and extended time away from a young family can be tough.
What do you do to unwind, any interests outside of your regular job life?
I’m an avid music fan and have an extensive vinyl collection. I’ve actually managed to incorporate playing music into my job as part of Scotch Sounds Radio show – a whisky and vinyl broadcast that started online during lockdown and is now a monthly live event at Johnnie Walker Princes Street.
I want to express my gratitude to Ewan for his time and for allowing me to learn more about his fascinating role as a Diageo Senior Global Brand Ambassador.